Hi. for some time now, one of my escort combi vans has been a pig to start always starts but slow. I have changed the Glow plugs about three times now, this dose not seem to make any difference. Today with the cold she just would not start. Of late when she starts i need my foot to the floor.
I know the battery on her is not the greatest, powerfull and big battery but old so dose not turn her over as long as it would when new, but it dose turn her over fast for about six good turns or trys at starting her, even today in the cold she trys to fire but just not enought. Well as the van runs like a dream once hot, every one tells me it is the Glow plugs and that i have been buying cheap one duff ones, they say there are lots about on the market. any one any ideals on this point?
Also could it be the battery? maybe it has volts to turn engine but no amps to glow plugs. I know nothing about batterys can any one give any appinions please. Cheers all Pete

 

glowplugs mate

 

I aggree

 

Sorry there guys please read my post again now I have edited it. That should have read glow plugs. Wonder someone didn't ask if I am made of money, you know how much injectors cost?
I am going to try two batterys on the car tomorrow, that should tell me if it is the batery Cheers, Pete

 

Are all the earth and live leads nice and clean at there connections?

How many miles has the engine covered, could it be slightly down on compression.

Try doing the glow plugs 2-3 times before cranking the engine.

 

going to say check wiring and battery and glow plug/relay wiring also when was cam belt last done

 

ok i thought it may have been a typo, first things first check if the glowplugs are getting power to them, if you dont have a power probe or multi meter etc... get some 2-3mm thick wire and bare each end. touch one end to the live on battery and the other end to any one of the 4 nuts on the glowplugs, now be carefull as this wire will get hot pretty quick, after a few secs or when the wire has melted and become part of your fingers quickly run to the door and try fire the car up, if it fires straight up you have no power to your glowplugs if it doesnt then your problem lies elsewhere
i started my old berlingo van like this for 3 years lol!

 

Pump timing out?

I had a Pug 405 years ago and had to turn the ignition on/off a few times to get it to start on cold mornings. Does it make white smoke when it first starts?

 

It has nothing to do with the battery!

By putting a more powerful one in will make no difference at all!

The only thing that determines how much power there is avaliable for starting is CCA (Cold cranking amps) the higher this value is means the current avaliable to the starter!

No battery will last long with a lot of cranking, the starter draws a considerable amount of current, especially on a high compression Derv engine!

The only thing you could do is measure the power at the glow plugs, but no doubt this will be fine, imo it's more likely to be something different.

Martin

 

In the absence of a meter, use a bulb, you should be able to get a rough indication by the brightness of it!

It sounds like the above is shorting the battery out ?

Martin

 

A mate suffered with this for 2 years, winter meant it just took an eternity to start. Glow plugs changed, no good.

He doubted the battery as it still worked, but in the end, change it and problem solved, starts straight up now.

 

Engin well over the top 300,000miles coming up any timenow, but she is sound all done on long runs she runs as sweat as a nut when hot, also great on fuel 74 pg on a run, on mot last monthshe passed emitions. She seemed to have stated getting hard to start after I left the radio on, battery went right downto nothing, but did charge back up but not as good as was but i have been using it for ages now, this is why I am wondering if it is bat' related.
I started her today with jump leads two fully charged bats, the other batey I used was another that had priviouly been killed by my radio. (that pro sorted now) she started better thinking of putting another bat under bonet.
Have done all the test on fittings. glow plugs, for one glow plug to glow on its own out of the engine, I thought maybe battery not good enough for four at one time may be or once the starter get started prhaps the drin off to it kills the rest of the glow time dead.
I noticed today after starting her with two bats, once she fired up she ran sweat straight away and not all bitty for a while and smoking. I thought that maybe this was because with two batterys all the glow plugs got hot enought and stay on while starter turns over.
I just have to be shore, a new good battery is alot of money, if I buy it only to find out it's not the battery. Any ones thought welcome to help me make my mind up I am usless when it come to ellectrics.
Cheers and thanks guys, Pete

 

Thanks for that. I two have had this for a while. I took her off the road because of it last leay and put my second car on the road, but this years with pump trouble on that one I now had to put first car back on road.
Like I have said it seemed to start easyier and alot cleaner this morning, I used to half tidy batterys on her at same time. i think I will try this for about a week and see, it is alot warmer today.
I would go in and have my battery tested but I recone they would say it is crap just to get me to buy new one. I would only buy the top of the range battry if I buy one and this would be alot of cash
Thanks for telling me about mate it all helpes me to decide. Cheers pete

 

Sounds like you had fun for three years.. I have tested the glow plugs but not shore if battery can do all four at same time. I had orriginaly been going to get mate to do just as you have said, but with another battey, as mate cannot be here till tomorrow I thought of using the two old batterys I have at the same time. I did get engouraging result, but as I have said, I would like to be amost certain of the problem before I pay out for new battery. Thanks for you help. Cheers, Pete

 

Hi, I have a big amp battery for diesel car on the car, but it was killed a whiles back by my radio taking it down to nothing along with another battery I have. They both charged back up but are not what they used to be
Now available I also have a mates brand new battery, low amps for petrol car. when I put this battery on the car it will turn the engine over for about twenty plus good trys at starting her, but at slow revs. I know this as I used this battery to bleed one of my two cars after putting fuel pump back on.
The larger battery I have on car, will only turns the engine about five or six good trys and is then down.
If two batterys work better for a week i will by new battery, Cheers Pete